This is her second week in sick bay. Gerdie has a large hole under her wing, no puss, healing well, no bad odor. . I have been bathing her in empsom salt daily, and giving her tumeric in her feed, antibiotic cream, vetrx, antibiotics, coilodal silver, and homeopathic st johns. She's very tired most of the day but she is eating and when I set her outside for her therapy ( I don't want her to get bed sores and I want her to move around and get sunshine and grass and weeds to eat. Her tail is up, she just doesnt walk well. She is separated from the flocks and sleeps in the house on a carpet pad.

I am going to have to remove the hard spurs on the rooster and maybe even move them into the old barn, The old barn isn't as secure and is more like a cage instead of coop. We lost some girls and we gained another rooster. I do want fertile eggs, but not at the cost of hens. In the older hens, I have 6 hens including Gerdie who is out of commission and 2 roosters. I know that is too many roosters to hen ratio. Wonder if I should have a batcelor pad rotate roosters. Do the saddles protect the sides?

Thanks for any suggestions regarding rooster damage. Not really ready to eat one. Thanks for suggestions.

I would definitely have only 1 rooster for 6 girls. Can you tell if she is in pain? Baby aspirin at low doses can help prevent this. Since I am not a vet or vet tech, I am not comfortable telling the amount of the doses. Long term you do not want her on it.

The solution long term is not saddles, I have used them, but they become worn, go off center, can get dirty, etc. It helps prevent for a short term usage. If it is not critical for a rooster, I would say bring one in about 2 or 3 times a week and then remove. Remembering that the hens will stay fertile for quite some time.

Remember that tumeric works best with pipperin just the tumeric by itself may help in some ways but for full benefits you need this kind. Try boiling eggs for her as well, and chopped up.

It can take weeks for poultry to heal, give her time. We had a goose with a horrific wound around her neck from a predator and after 8 weeks she rejoined her group! Praying for her well being and have a blessed day! Nancy

By the way, I think the epsom salt baths saved her life. I didn't see the gash for a about 4 days and part of my protocol for her was empsom salt baths and a little to epsom water to drink.in case of poisoning or eggbind, because I didn't know what was wrong, I don't think she can feel much because she never cried or winced when I picked her up or attend to the wound.

I make tumeric paste for myself with pepper and water and heat for 8-10 minutes and I mix a little in her feed.

We appreciate your prrayers and the hope. . and any more suggestions.. I would love to see what people are doing for long term chicken care. Right now I am using a box sideways with carpet padding and a paper towel lining. Just wondering what people do. I do have a dog carrier but it's harder to get her out for her daily outside time.